Closing thoughts on November

November 2006 has been one of fun with grandchildren, kitties, puppy and kids. It has also been challenging time for our school. We need to get on a good schedule. And stick to it. I am not a firm taskmaster when it comes to anything. I am always up for a spontaneous adventure and have the attention span of a gnat. But we are plugging along. All three Connections Academy students took the tests that are required by the state and did quite well.

Joylynn has a new job at a "memory facility". It is 6 am to 2 pm Sunday, Monday and Thursday. Our current job is to get the grandkids on our schedule for schooling. They do nap which I am happy for. They are such fun though. Wyatt cracks us up daily. Miss Genevieve is getting more dramatic in her dealings with people. She is quite the little actress.

Our Thanksgiving was a quiet one. Only twelve of us sitting down to dinner. We missed Rylan, Cherise and Logan. Everyone else was here in addition to a friend of Krystle's who is from Ohio and is going to school out here. We hope to have everyone here for Christmas. Should be more fun this year since Genevieve and Max are going to be involved. Possibly kittens as well :o)

Christmas trees are going to be gotten this week with hopes of having all the Christmas decor in place by the 4th or 5th of December. We have some busy days ahead. But November has been good.

Momarazzi strikes again

A photo session just isn't finished until someone is in tears. Taking pictures of both Wyatt and Genevieve is a little like herding cats. I snapped 30 pics of them in about 10-15 minutes yesterday. Not one was I happy with. I guess I shouldn't feel bad....a professional photographer took 40 minutes to get 5 shots of Wyatt when he was 11 months old. I think a different camera would help. I have few complaints because we've taken some pretty great pictures of those kids in the past. Just not very many of both of them together. I just have to say and I'm sure Harlan will second my sentiment: Thank the Lord for digital cameras! I can't imagine how much film processing would have cost in the past couple of years.

New kitties- New house-Dualing pajama pants-Washingtonians are weird

We spent a lovely three days in the Lacey area of Washington State.

Cherise got there about a half hour ahead of us. She got to experience her first trip towards the edge of the road due to snow. She said there was about a foot of snow on the road over the pass. The rest of the trip was rainy. She had a couple of stowaways from The Wallas. Chaos(left) and Havoc (right) now live with the G-fam. Max is getting used to them as well as them to him. They are sure cute & playful.


The picture of the outside of the house isn't the best but it is a great house. Max has a huge yard to run in. He already made friends with the neighboring American Eskimo dog. They enjoy romping back and forth along the fenceline pouncing and barking. Max leaps like a gazelle through the grass. It is great to see him getting all that exercise.


The dualing pajama girls are both official Washingtonians. By birth and residence. But as you can see by the final picture they are a bit weird. We thought they were a little strange when they were growing up here in Oregon, but something happened when one crosses that river I guess. We'll have to see if it is only temporary.

Another Goodbye

Our (Cherise's) Anna Cat died suddenly today. We don't know what the cause was or when exactly she did die. She just slept away. At least she was in the house and we don't have to worry or wonder like we would if she just never showed up at home again. Since Sabre died the kids have been asking for another cat. After today I'm not sure we want any kind of pets anymore. We do have one more cat. Her name is Chloe. She is a very unique and reclusive character with a very interesting meow. Her preference is to spend time with Cameron or Courtney (her owner) if she deems anyone worthy of her presence.

Anna was our working cat. I have her to thank for a dead mouse on my bed pillow. On the bathroom floor. In my window box. A live mouse brought into the house. Various bird parts left on the doorstep. Yup she knew her job and we are going to miss that aspect. She is also the only cat that jumped up on Harlan's lap and curled up there without getting booted off. She liked people and people food. Much to the chagrin of kids who turned away from their cereal bowl without finishing. She had no qualms about getting in there and cleaning up leftovers.

Thank you for entertaining and loving us for the past many years. You had the prettiest curly tail.

@! That is 21 if you hold down the shift key!

Happy Birthday Alyssa!!!!!! You are of legal age in all 50 states. What a year it has been hey?

Last year when you turned twenty we were still planning your wedding for June 3rd. Little did we realize what a whirlwind of an adventure we all were going on.

Wedding in December.

Logan gone. New apartment in the spring. Get Mad Max the Road Warrior (the best dog ever!!). Logan at school.

Buy new house in late summer. Logan at school. Buy new vehicle. Throw in there a few (many) trips to Portland, a couple to Sisters, at least one to see Logan's grandparents.


Our grand adventure to The Wallas.

Visits in Tacomer by Joylynn and kids, Courtney, and several by Hayden and Cameron.... You should have kept a journal. Yup it's been quite a year. But wait there's more! The "Adult" adventure is just beginning.
Hope the year ahead is filled with blessings beyond measure.

We love you. You are still our "Sunshine".